Tripoli, the capital of the regional unit of Arcadia – an ancient placement which is associated with pastoralism and harmony with nature – continues to be in turmoil due to a waste management problem and the Greek state’s failure to deal with it comprehensively .

Heaps of rubbish have accumulated on the streets of the city, located in central Peloponnese, for weeks now, as local and regional officials squabbled on why a garbage processing contract hasn’t come on line. Tripolis’ rubbish had been previously shipped to the greater Athens area’ vast dumpsite, nearly four hours away by truck and costing … 90 euros per ton in transport costs!

To add insult to injury, local officials then chose a site within a Natura-protected site, adjacent to a pine forest of Mt. Mainalos, as a temporary disposal site for the area’s garbage. This generated vocal opposition by environmentalists and also by the residents of the area, who have filed an injunction against all responsible parties. The case will be heard next Tuesday.

While local and regional officials squabble on why a garbage processing contract hasn’t come on line, the situation in the once-pristine pine forest is getting worse by the minute.

Watch below drone footage from the area that shows the extent of the ecological damage in the forest.